Everyone had been waiting years to see Chase DeLauter finally reach the big-league level, but no one expected that MLB debt to come in the playoffs.
Yet, that’s exactly what happened with the Cleveland Guardians’ No. 2 prospect slotted to hit seventh and to start in center field for the team in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series.
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DeLauter recently appeared on MLB Network’s Hot Stove and reflected on his first taste of big league action, including the highs and the lows of his first game in The Show.
First, the outfielder said he had “no idea” he would be added to the playoff roster.
“I was in Arizona, rehabbing, having the handmade surgery coming off of that, having some odd bats, a couple games here and there, kind of just preparing for the Fall League, really. The Friday before the playoffs series started, I had a call from James Harris, [and he] invited me out to Columbus, Ohio, to take some live at-bats out there,” explained DeLauter.
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“From there, moved up to [Cleveland for] practice on Monday. After practice or maybe it was before practice, they had called me in and said I was going to be activated. And then kind of had a little hitch after that, but until until then I was going with the flow. I had no idea.”
Cleveland Guardians center fielder Chase DeLauter (34) jogs back to the dugout during the first inning of Game 2 of the American League wild card series at Progressive Field, Oct. 1, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. © Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Of course, in the game itself, DeLauter saw action in center field, a position he hasn’t played a single inning at in Triple-A. Five pitches into the game, Gleyber Torres hit a routine fly ball to center, but DeLauter lost it in the afternoon sun and ultimately dropped it.
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“That was, like, getting punched in the chest by 50,000 people. I mean, there’s no way other way around it. Like, it was not a fun moment,” admitted DeLauter.
The 24-year-old is already showing he has the mindset of a veteran, though, because DeLauter also shared he used this error as a calming moment for the rest of the game.
“On the flip side, I really do believe it kind of helped calm me for the rest of the game. I mean, I had that insane swing of emotions between dropping a flyball, first playoff game, first game,” continued DeLauter. “
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There was a part of me that wanted off the field, and there was a part of me that needed another play, the very next pitch. So, I’m thankful I got some others under my belt before kind of getting that first at-bat. It helps a lot. ”
Knowing what playing MLB base feels like, the emotions, the mindset, the nerves, is something Cleveland’s skipper, Stephen Vogt, said earlier this offseason, is something that will only help DeLauter throughout the season.
DeLauter really did experience a lot in the first two games at the big-league level, and now he can use all of that to jumpstart his 2026 season when he’s inevitably a key piece to Cleveland’s lineup.
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